Zhuhai Bests Hong Kong as China’s Most Livable City

It’s been knocked out by Zhuhai, which lies on the southern coast of Guangdong province across the border from Macau, according to the latest rankings from the government-affiliated Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Factors such as a large proportion of college students, a variety of dining and shopping venues and ample green space gave the city its edge, says Ni Pengfei, the director of the academy’s Center for City and Competitiveness.

Hong Kong and Haikou on Hainan Island placed second and third, respectively, while Shanghai ranked 10th. Beijing came in at 41st out of 294 cities, with the report attributing its low ranking to air pollution and high housing prices.

Smog is causing many of the cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area—seven of which rank in the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s top 10 polluted cities—to lose some of their competitive edge. “Serious air pollution in the region posed a severe challenge for sustainable development,” Mr. Ni said, noting that Beijing ranked 92nd in the survey for ecological competitiveness.

Hong Kong still topped the list for overall competitiveness, followed by Shenzhen and Shanghai, based on factors such as housing affordability, cultural competitiveness and environment.

The report also pointed to several international cities that Chinese cities should try to emulate, including Melbourne for its livability, Paris for its culture and Singapore for its business strengths.

Mr. Ni said the biggest thing cities need to do is “accelerate the advancement of scientific and technological innovation.” He also said it’s important for cities to push for new urbanization and the integration of urban and rural areas.

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